1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for communicating with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that produces an RFID label provided with an RFID tag circuit element capable of radio communication of information with the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system that reads and writes information in a non-contact manner between a small-sized RFID tag and a reader/writer, which is a reading device and a writing device, is known in a prior art reference.
An apparatus for communicating with an RFID tag that produces an RFID label provided with an RFID tag circuit element used in such an RFID system has been already proposed. With the apparatus of the prior art reference, a label provided with an RF-ID element, which is an RFID tag circuit element, is attached to a label sheet that constitutes a tape. The label attached to the label sheet is constructed as a roll-shaped recording medium. Then, while the tape is being fed out of this roll and transported, printing is applied on a surface of the label by a thermal head as a recording head. After this printing, information is transmitted from a communication antenna on the apparatus side to the RFID tag circuit element in the transport state and desired information writing is performed. As a result, RFID labels with print are continuously produced.
Recently, with progress of an RFID tag technology, the RFID labels with print have been widely spread and begun to be used. In this trend, there is a need that a color identifier already widely used in an application of document management, for example, that is, an RFID label with print with a color identifier is to be produced by printing a so-called color code, for example.
However, with the prior art reference, printing of the color identifier is not considered. As a result, it has been difficult to efficiently produce an RFID label with a color identifier. In order to produce such an RFID label with print with a color identifier, an inkjet head can be used other than the thermal head. In this case, there should be an area on which printing is applied by the thermal head and an area on which printing of a color identifier is applied by the inkjet heat in a tape. However, if the RFID tag circuit element is arranged on the area for printing by the thermal head, it is likely that damage is caused by heating. Thus, consideration is separately needed to avoid the heating damage between arrangement positions of the thermal head and the inkjet head and an arrangement position of the RFID tag circuit element in the tape.